Islaja - Palaa Aurinkoon (2005)

Islaja - Palaa Aurinkoon (2005)

Absolutely amazing Freak Folk coming out of Finland. Islaja's beautiful, ethereal folk is complimented perfectly by the diverse range of instruments on show here - from ghostly, twinkling chimes and simple acoustic guitar passages to quiet, sombre piano melodies and reverberating drones, this music always sounds otherworldly and angelic. The entire thing sounds entirely place in some kind of forest covent ritual, conjuring up ideas of towering trees and lush grass blossoming underfoot - it's just sounds so organic and beautiful and spiritual. Easily one of my favorite Freak Folk albums ever.


https://mega.co.nz/#!qZ0XyaJT!IxeiB3vrp7oMlhmsGW84-zkSmXo0aN7oNZ-xyz9__7g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGfWQSmMsMA

4G - Cloud (2005)

4G - Cloud (2005)

Moreso than even Cage's 4"33, "Cloud" really draws your attention to the minute details of the ambiance of any setting. Quiet sustained tones underscoring the piece that means that even at its most uneventful, silence never truly exists on this album. The quick, startling jumps from the drone to a fragment of sound - a clip of music, an inaudibly high-pitched tone, a chaotic distorted buzzing that interrupts the tranquility of piece - all of this interrupts the subtle, nuanced ambiance that Rowe, Ambarchi and company have created here. These interruptions fade away as quickly and starkly as they were introduced, and the album returns to a haunting, ominous ambiance. Despite its length, this album never ceases to engage you, with every buzzing pitch or pattering glitch drawing the listener to the edge of their seat. A great collaboration between a group of true virtuosos.


https://mega.co.nz/#!mRMRSACY!QyIEm1VHqIUQSQjHrq2J1wyYE_NKEDPhV-nzCMMBvaY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hSjfTxGmAg

The Brunettes - Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks (2002)

The Brunettes - Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks (2002)

Lo and Behold, for once, New Zealand is not just Australia's irrelevant cousin (you know it's true, Kiwis). Ballads about love and dancing,lovely male-female duets and cute-as-a-button songwriting makes for an album that's just twee as can be!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QsplXJw1MU


https://mega.co.nz/#!CNNhzDQb!cl65xzLxqfDL8VP4jObf01nU8ntFYKdhxW2L1dvUMa4

Grails - Take Refuge in Clean Living (2008)

Grails - Take Refuge in Clean Living (2008)

A very interesting post-rock album, with diverse instrumentation, a large influence taken from psychedelic rock and indian classical music, and a huge diversity in sound. Grails goes from long, drawn out psych-tunes with low, ringing drones to fiery psychedelic jam band pieces. A very varied, interesting and psychedelic release, you should check this out if you're into the more spacey, psychedelic and experimental side of post-rock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKF1xvd5AF4


https://mega.co.nz/#!KVM3nL4I!SH4iABSRIX6DqC2aqCvyt3e9GmlGI0iNvDBEJdzZMWU

Edan - Beauty and the Beat (2005)

Edan - Beauty and the Beat (2005)

Definitely one of the most interesting hip hop albums I've heard in a long time, Edan's amazingly forward thinking production that culls samples from a ton of psychedelic rock, all interspersed with crazy abstract electronics and modulation - truly the most psychedelic rap album I've heard to date.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=napS5CFsfo8


https://mega.co.nz/#!rIEwlSYA!MSzBW11ZktKPpgjaY2Ufim2l_6Jn9-NWru2G_yw6yIc

Les Blousons Noirs - Integrale 1961-1962 (2007)

Les Blousons Noirs - Integrale 1961-1962 (2007)

When I think of the term "wild abandon", the first band that comes to mind is Les Blousons Noirs. Their incredibly sloppy and unhinged brand of Rock 'n' Roll is absolute genius or utter rubbish, depending on who you talk to. Personally, I think it's funny - their adaptions of "Be Bop a Lula" and Chubby Checker's "Pony Time" (called "Hey Pony" on this release) are even better than the originals. This is the real spirit of rock and roll, long before bands like Half-Japanese and the Shaggs came around. These guys might not have been stellar musicians, but their music has soul, and they know how to rock - they simply don't give a damn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc0QAFMPIfA


https://mega.co.nz/#!jU8gGLrb!FmkltkCIDbX_d5sRHvgAT2SiT-1CbdSu30iIakp6taA

MoHa! - One-Way Ticket to Candyland (2008)

MoHa! - One-Way Ticket to Candyland (2008)

A completely frightening and disturbing rollercoaster of furious drumming, abstract bleeps and bloops, and of course, wave after wave of noise. This is Noise Rock at it's Noisiest, and while fans of Albini-esque pissed-off industrial rock tirades might be disappointed, people who like their noise rock bizarre and at times downright disturbing (rather than just seeking to offend) would do well to check out this release.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB_iFV5iyfM


https://mega.co.nz/#!uE1QGRxI!RGodxAzyd6pd7iAAq5-dNWbn_yYwnQfyKRBErdALIp4